The Home Know-It-All

Storage Solutions for Thanksgiving Leftovers

If there's one tradition that corresponds closely with Thanksgiving and the holidays, it's large quantities of leftovers. Finding storage solutions for the remains of your bounteous banquet can be difficult. Here are some tips. 

Freeze Freely
Before you begin cooking for Thanksgiving, make room in your freezer. According to the USDA, cooked turkey lasts four months in the freezer—plenty of time to use up your leftovers without eating turkey for every meal. 

Package Meals
Take the work out of eating leftovers by storing a little of everything in several meal-sized containers. Then when you want a quick meal, grab one of the containers from the refrigerator and heat it in the microwave. 

Reuse Cleverly
After gorging yourself on a Thanksgiving meal, you and your family may want a little time away from the leftovers. Try spicing them up by using them to make other meals—use ham to make split pea soup, or mix your ham and potatoes with eggs, bell peppers, and onion for a breakfast frittata. You can use turkey to make comforting homemade turkey-and-noodle soup or turkey potpies. For more clever leftover recipes, visit cdkitchen.com. 

Send Goodies With Guests
How better to handle leftovers than to give them to your Thanksgiving guests? Divide and conquer storage of your extra food by sending some home with friends and family.

Until next time, 
The Home Know-It-All

Storing Wine

You don't need to be a wine connoisseur to appreciate a wine, and you certainly don't need a wine cellar to keep bottles properly stored. Here are a few easy tips for storing wine at home. 

Storage Temperature
The optimum temperature for storing wine is 50 to 55°F. Naturally, this presents a bit of a predicament: If a comfortable room temperature is around 70°F and a typical refrigerator temperature is 35°F, where are you going to put your wine? Though there are reasonably priced wine coolers available, you can keep wine around without them. Wine tends to age faster in warmer temperatures, and it doesn't develop the subtle complexities it would if kept cooler. In too cool a room, wine develops deposits or other undesirable suspensions. Try to avoid drastic or repeated changes in storage temperature to keep your wine from changing substantially. 

Humidity
A moderate amount of humidity is necessary when storing wine in order to maintain the integrity of the cork—try for a relative humidity of 50 to 80 percent. Excessive humidity will do more damage to the labels of your wine bottles than to the wine itself, but low humidity can dry out the cork and allow air in the bottle. If crust develops around the cork, oxygen is getting in.

Darkness
Light can damage the taste of your wine. While dark bottles don't let in as much light as clear bottles, ultraviolet light can still penetrate both. Limit light exposure to keep your bottles safe. 

Angle
Table wine should be stored on its side to keep the cork moist and lock out oxygen. Keep the labels facing up to make it easy to identify sediment that has formed on the side of the bottle. Fortified wines—those with spirits like port, sherry, or vermouth—should be stored standing. 

For more information on collecting and enjoying wine or to connect with wine experts, visit IntoWine.com.

Until next time, 
The Home Know-It-All

 

Cool New Grilling Tools

 

Nothing says summer quite like a barbecue. Before you fire up your grill, here are a few new tools to consider that will give you a hand and turn a few heads. 

Hybrid Temperature Tongs - $19.98

What could make any grill master wake up in a cold sweat? The possibility of someone getting sick from undercooked meat they've prepared. Silence your fears with this nifty set of tongs—it combines all the handiest grill implements (a stainless steel fork and a spatula form either side of the tong) with a reliable, built-in temperature sensor that can adjust for whatever meat you're grilling. It will even tell you when the meat is rare, medium, or well done. 

Grill Daddy Grill Cleaner - $19.95

No one likes to clean the grill after a big cookout, and more times than not a crusty carbon residue becomes a familiar fixture on the grate. The Grill Daddy, which looks something like a futuristic handheld vacuum, makes clean-up easy. It works by spraying a stream of water as you scrub with the attached brush, keeping your grill clean and ready to use. 

The Ham Dogger - $7.95

It's easy to get tired of the 'burger or hotdog' paradigm at barbecues. Add a little versatility to the menu with the Ham Dogger—a plastic mold for forming ground beef, turkey, pork, or whatever you're inclined to use into a perfect hot dog shape. Eliminate the need for two kinds of buns and surprise everyone at your next barbecue!

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Go Nuts for Black Walnuts

Every fall, I find a lot of green and black golf-ball-size nuts rolling around the bed of my truck. I always considered these inconsiderate hitchhikers little more than fodder for the squirrels and a recurring nuisance for me. 

But the squirrels are on to something. 

Black walnuts are a free, healthy, and tasty snack.

Collecting. It's easy to know when walnut picking season is in full force, largely because walnuts are all over the ground. Generally, they'll start dropping in late September to early October. You can shake the smaller trees to get the ripe ones off, but be gentle. Never pick them straight off the tree or you'll damage it. 

Wear gloves and work clothes when collecting and preparing these nuts; they leave an indelible brown stain on anything they touch. If you're feeling creative, put that stain to use as an all-natural dye for cloth or yarn. Some even argue it makes for an excellent hair dye. 

You'll know when the walnuts are ripe if you can squeeze the outer husk (which should be in a transitional stage between green and black in color) and an indentation is left behind. 

Removing the Husk. While some prefer to drive over the walnuts with a car to de-husk them, this technique is messy and can stain your driveway. Another method is to drill a 1 5/8-inch hole in a thick piece of plywood, then use a hammer to force the walnut through to remove the husk. And never store the nuts with the husk on—they'll start to decompose, causing the nut to taste bitter.

Processing. Take your de-husked walnuts and wash them to remove juice and debris. When thrown in a bucket of water, bad nuts (unfilled shells) float and good nuts sink to the bottom. Keep the sinkers. 

Curing. Stack the remaining nuts in shallow layers, out of direct sun, and in a cool, dry place for two weeks. After that time, break open a sample nut—its kernel should break crisply with an audible snap. 

Shelling. Soak the nuts for a few hours in hot water to make shelling easier. Because the shells are very tough, an ordinary nutcracker will almost certainly not be enough. Try a brick, hammer, or a vise. 

Enjoy your walnuts!

Until next time,
The Home Know-It-All

Picnic Pointers

In just a few weeks, the kids will head back to school and summertime fun will come to end. But before you let summer slip through your grip, bottle up as much sunshine as possible by spending your days outdoors. Try your hand at an old-fashioned picnic.

Make sure you're outdoor extravaganza goes off without hitch by borrowing from these perfect picnic ingredients. 

What
Sometimes the best picnics are the most uncomplicated, especially in the food department. Rather than spend time whipping up a four-course meal, stick with whole grains, lean meats, and fruits and veggies. Swing through your local farmer's market before heading out to find some of the season's finest. 

Where

Although there's nothing wrong with a picnic in the park, spice up your outdoor party by choosing a more unusual locale. Check the paper for seasonal activities, such as free concerts, parades, and festivals. If you live in an urban setting, head to the rooftop or a green patch in a courtyard. Lounge by a fountain or set up shop on a balcony. Want to make it romantic? Contact local vineyards and orchards. Many offer tours of the grounds with meals overlooking the acreage. 

How 

Safety comes first, so when you're packing your picnic, avoid mayonnaise, raw meats, and other foods that spoil easily. Load your food in an ice-filled cooler to keep the temperature below 40° F. Store each food item in separate containers to prevent contamination. Place perishable items at the bottom of the cooler to keep them colder, and pay attention to how long food has been left out. An hour or more? Toss it. 

For more ideas on how to plan the perfect picnic, read this Taste of Home article. Having difficulty choosing the right meal? This article can help you out. 

What are you waiting for? Get outside while the gettin' is still good. 

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All 

Independence Day Recipes

To me, it’s not truly summer until I’ve held my first sparkler and watched my first firework fly. So it’s safe to say I’m more than a little excited for this Saturday. What do I have planned? First off, there’s the fishing, then the eating, and then the opening of presents (it’s my mom’s and sister’s birthdays, too!). I’ll top that off with the lighting of fireworks and a little more eating. Oh, and did I mention the eating?

Because I’ll be chowing down this weekend—and because we taught you the art of 4th of July decorating last year—I’ve put together a list of recipes to make your Independence Day meal the best ever. Try them out. No need to thank me for making your guests ooh and ahh over your cooking prowess.

Sweet Restaurant Slaw from AllRecipes.com
Nothing pairs with a hot dog quite like a scrumptious slaw—and this recipe is the scrum-dittily-umptious.

Perfect Potato Salad from ThePioneerWoman.com
The Pioneer Woman is my cooking hero, so even though I’m recommending this particular dish for your barbecue, most any of her recipes would be just as divine.

Barbecue Chicken and Peach Kabobs with Bacon from Kraftfoods.com
Leave the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers in the fridge. Shake up your get-together by serving these yummy kabobs.

Watermelon-Mint Cooler
Cool off hot guests with this oh-so-simple (and kid-friendly) drink recipe.

Homemade Oreos
I’ve made these cookies a few times now, and every time, someone asks me for the recipe. If that’s not an indication of how good these beauties are, I’m not sure what is. Plus, they’re the perfect end to a great summer meal.

Until next time,
The Home Know-It-All

Gas Grilling Safety 101

If rain weren’t in the forecast for this weekend, I’d be grilling out every night. Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to enjoy my meals inside. But just in case your luck is better than mine, here are a few gas grilling safety basics to start your summer out right. 

• As obvious as it may seem, your grill is meant for outdoor purposes only. Never use it in a garage, tent, or other enclosed area. And always make sure it’s well ventilated by keeping it away from your house and overhangs. You’ll cut down on carbon monoxide accumulation.
• Stabilize the grill to prevent rowdy kids or energetic dogs from tipping it over.
• Before lighting the grill, check the tubes that lead into the burner for bugs or food grease that could block the gas. Examine the hoses for cracks and leaks and replace scratched or damaged connectors.
• If you notice damage to your tank valve, never attempt to replace it yourself. Always visit an LP gas dealer for repairs.
• Use long-handled grilling utensils. (You never know when a flame will roar to life.) If you’re serious about grilling, I’d suggest the All-Clad BBQ Tool Set ($96). The tools come with their own carrying case!
• Avoid clothing with dangling sleeves or frills. They’ll get in your way and potentially catch fire.
• Have a fire extinguisher and baking soda (for grease flames) handy.
• Never leave your hot grill unattended.
• Don’t move the grill once you’ve ignited it. It’s too easy to stumble and burn yourself or people around you.
• Understand the ins and outs of your grill by reading your owner’s manual before putting it to work.

In the market for a new gas grill? We’ve got a buying guide for you right here.

Until next time,
The Home Know-It-All

Entertaining Ideas: Stocking the bar

When you’re ready to stock your bar for a holiday party, there’s only one set rule: Don’t let it run dry. As far as what alcohol, garnishes, and mixers to fill it with, it’s really quite simple. Just follow these guidelines:

Alcohol
To cover all your bases, you’ll need the eight main liquors: bourbon, brandy, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka, and whiskey. You’ll also need a selection of beer. One domestic and one imported should do ya. And for a proper toast, you may also need champagne. It may even be a good idea to have a few liqueurs, like Amaretto, Kahlúa, Cointreau, and—because it’s Christmas—peppermint Schnapps. Having a hard time figuring out how much to buy? Go here.

But if all this seems like too much, just pick your favorites or put together a menu of festive drinks for guests to choose from. That way you’ll only need to stock the right ingredients. Bop on over to Fine Living for a few cocktail ideas. I vote for the gingerbread martini, champagne punch, and the minted hot chocolate. And you definitely can’t go wrong with mulled wine. Try this five-star recipe courtesy of my favorite television channel, The Food Network.

Garnishes
If you decide to go the menu route, your garnishes will pretty much be decided for you, but if you’d rather do the open bar, you’ll need to stock a wide array of garnishes. Have on hand citrus (slices, wedges, or peels), coarse salt, maraschino cherries, olives (green and black), pickles, simple syrup, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce. You’ll also need lots and lots of ice, preferably crushed.

Mixers
As with garnishes, pick your mixers based on your recipes. No recipes? You’ll need several varieties of soda, including club. You’ll also need several juices, such as tomato, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit. And I’d also stock up on grenadine (my favorite!) and margarita mix to make things a little easier for the bartender.

Equipment
While you’re at the liquor story, be sure to grab extra corkscrews, a bottle opener, cocktail shaker, jigger, and bar spoon if you don’t already own them. And to set your bar up properly, gather a blender, measuring cups, knife, and cutting board close by.

Keep in mind, you can stock your bar as high as the Eiffel Tower and still be short something, so if you’re on a limited budget, it’s probably wise to offer up a couple drink options and leave it at that. And, of course, you’d be crazy to let anyone drive away from your party intoxicated, so be prepared to designate yourself as a driver or turn your guest bedroom over to an inebriated visitor.

May your holiday parties be merry, cheery, and full of fun!
The Home Know-It-All

Gadgets for Easier Holiday Baking

You know that Andy Williams holiday song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?” Well, even though he croons about parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow, I’m convinced he thought about more holiday treats than just marshmallows while writing that song.

Maybe that’s because I always have goodies on the brain during the holidays, which I also believe is the best time of year. Toffee, fudge, and iced sugar cookies—oh my! You could say I’m all about the holiday baking—and sampling. (I’ll worry about my waistline after January 1, thank you very much.)

If you’re like me and you’re ready to start whipping up batches of scrumptious seasonal treats, check out these tools that will make the baking process more efficient, giving you time to focus on other holiday perks—like parties, caroling, and, most importantly, togetherness with friends and family.

Picture perfect. It’s possible to score cookies that look like they came straight from the pages of a magazine with the Cookie Press and Decorating Kit from Crate & Barrel ($29.95). The easy-to-use cookie press is accompanied by six decorating tips and 14 aluminum disks in festive shapes. Simply fill the container with dough and punch your favorite designs—snowflakes, candy canes, trees, and more—into the dough. Also consider the Push ’n Print Cookie Cutter Set from Wilton ($7.99/set of four). Fun!

Space saver. Take it from a girl with a tiny kitchen: Baking sheets consume a lot of space—especially when you’ve got three or four going. That’s why the Linden Baker’s Rack from Target ($19.99) is a good idea. This vertical, foldable storage rack can hold as many as four baking sheets at a time without sacrificing precious counter space.

Smooth sailing. Who wants to spend time picking pesky dough off their rolling pin or scraping sticky caramel from the pan? Not me. Save time by equipping yourself with nonstick bakeware such as the Nonstick Rolling Mat ($49.95), Silicone Rolling Pin ($49.95), and Silicone Spatulas and Spoonula (prices range from $7 for a small spatula to $27.50 for a personalized set of three spatulas), all from Williams-Sonoma.

Sugar coated. Gone are the days of pilfering through your pantry in search of those Red Hots you desperately need to adorn your gingerbread house. The simple yet brilliant Candy Carousel from Shop Taste of Home ($29.99), see photo right, keeps sprinkles, colored sugars, and small candies in one convenient rotating location—and eliminates a trip to the grocery store. That’s because the carousel’s eight 3.5-ounce shakers come pre-filled. Another bonus: the containers have a shaker top for easy dispensing.

Now that I have my sleek KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer to whip up cookie dough and cake batter, I don’t know how I survived without it. And when it comes to making precise liquid measurements, I swear by this OXO Angled Measuring Cup, which I received for Christmas last year. But enough about me. What holiday baking gadgets can’t you live without?

Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All

Cool Cake Stands

Whenever I whip up a cake, cookies, brownies, bars, or any other sweet treat, I proudly flaunt the results on the footed clear glass cake stand that rests atop my wine bar/sideboard. (Heck, even if I cheat and bring home store-bought bakery goods, I still show them off.)

If my kitchen/dining room/living space were large enough to corral multiple cake stands, you can bet I’d have a collection in different colors and styles. Until that day comes, however, I just have to put the one I already own to good use, make a mental wish list, and ooh and aah over my favorites.

Simply sophisticated. I’m in love with the Flirt Ruffle Cake Stands from Potluck Studios (available in three sizes; prices vary) because they exude quiet elegance. The white finish works well with most decor, and the scalloped edges add instant flair. I think these stands are the perfect backdrop for a fancy dessert.
If you like the look of ruffled edges but want to spice up your decor with a bold hue, try the Emile Henry Ruffled Cake Stand in red from Williams-Sonoma ($70).

Birthday bonanza. Blowing out birthday candles has never been more fun. The Singing Cake Plate from Lenox ($69.95) rises to the occasion—literally—with its brilliant birthday-inspired design. It’s the epitome of fun. And should you feel so inclined, Lenox also makes a personalized one for just a few bucks more.

Petite treat display. Sure, it’s easy enough to arrange cupcakes on a basic cake stand. But it’s much more enjoyable to display them in style on a stand made just for small goodies: The Cupcakes ’N More Mini Dessert Stand by Wilton ($15.79, [photo top left Courtesy of Wilton] for a stand that holds 24 cupcakes; you can also buy different sizes). The stand boasts a towering design with wire spirals to corral your cupcakes; the wire spirals have a non-toxic, non-chip silver-finish. Another feature to celebrate: The stand easily collapses for easy storage when it’s not in use.

Basically there are cake stands for every interest. Case in point: If you love elephants, here’s a stand just for you. Or if you’re a nature lover, make a statement with this one, which is bedecked with hand-polished aluminum butterflies around the base. Want something whimsical? Don’t pass up this one, complete with ceramic high heel shoes that forms the base. (Would you expect anything less from a footed cake stand? Bad pun intended.)

But there’s always something special about a custom creation—why not take a Plain Jane cake stand and jazz it up? Get inspired by Martha Stewart’s jeweled cake stands. Or give old plates, vases, and candlesticks a second life with this cool idea from Design Sponge. I had a friend make several cake stands for her wedding last autumn (to showcase the luscious cheesecakes her talented mother made for each table) and the results were nothing short of stellar. Check out antiques stores and flea markets for vintage plates, vases, and candlesticks.

Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-Al

Green Entertaining

The holiday season is right around the corner. Considering that Americans produce 25 million tons of holiday-related garbage each year and buy a whole lot of stuff in preparation for parties, perhaps it’s time to start thinking about environmentally friendly entertaining.

To get you started, here are some of the key areas where you can go green—and still throw one heck of a party.

Invitations. If you’re sending out snail-mail invites, opt for recycled paper products. Or, better yet, if it’s not a super-formal event, send an Evite. Online invites are free, easy to create, and arrive almost the second you hit “send”—no postage required.

Food. Shop for local and organic ingredients as much as possible. I realize, particularly this year, that food in general is pricey and organic even more so. Make organic entertaining easier on your budget by going light—rather than whipping up a five-course meal, why not stick with appetizers or desserts? It will be less expensive and you won’t have to purchase mass quantities of food, so you can focus on quality instead. Of course, as Green Savvy reminded me, don’t forget the organic wine and beer too!

Dishware. Use real plates, cups, silverware, and napkins rather than disposable items. If you don’t have enough for the whole crowd, ask to borrow a friend’s dishware. Or take a trip to your local Salvation Army or a secondhand store to see if you can snag extra plates and silverware for cheap. Who cares if the plates don’t match? If you must go the disposable route, purchase biodegradable options. Many, like VerTerra’s organic and compostable dinnerware, are so attractive you may want to wipe them down and reuse them after all!

Decor. Sure, themes are great, but they often involve purchasing a lot of items you don’t already have on hand. Instead of buying all sorts of paper products, streamers, and goofy seasonal items, opt for the less-is-more approach by decorating with objects you already have or nice pieces that, once purchased, can be reused again. I particularly like the suggestions in this Fine Living article—for instance, green guru Danny Seo suggests using glass jugs as wine decanters for one party and the same jugs as flower vases at another. Or, if you do purchase decorations specifically for the big event, why not use them as gifts for guests? Then you don’t have to worry about buying party favors too.

Cleanup. Set out bins or bags in which guests can toss recyclable items such as cans and bottles. That way, you don’t have to mess with fishing them out of the garbage can later. Once it’s time to tackle the dishes, scrape rather than rinse them to save water. Cleaning items in the dishwasher is much more efficient than hand-washing, so fill the dishwasher as full as possible (but not overfull) before running it. Odds are you won’t be able to get everything in one load if you’re entertaining for more than a few guests. If you can’t handle waiting to clean all the dishes in the dishwasher, fill the sink up with water rather than leaving the water running to wash the rest. Also, consider what you’re going to do with all that leftover food. If you won’t eat it yourself, can you send it home with guests? Or make plates to take to a homeless shelter?

If you’re looking for more ideas on how to green your entertaining, let Danny Seo walk you through everything you need to throw a green party, from food and drinks to décor and entertainment, at Epicurious.com. Or steal ideas from “A Night of Eco-Chic Entertaining” over at Notes on a Party.

What great green entertaining advice do you have? Share here—and happy holiday party planning!

Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All